KP flourmills shut for 3 days to protest GST

PESHAWAR: Owners in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Tuesday announced to shut down flourmills for three days from July 17 to 19 to protest against the imposition of 17 per cent General Sale Tax (GST) on the wheat bran.

Addressing a meeting of the KP flourmills, the All Pakistan Flour Mills Association (APFMA) central Chairman Naeem Butt said the government had imposed 17 per cent GST on wheat products and bran dishonouring the promise not to levy the food commodities.

Naeem Butt said there had been no precedent of imposing the GST on wheat or bran in the country in the past but it had been introduced in the Finance Act 2019.

He feared the levy would directly hit all flour products and their prices would register an increase.

The miller said the tax on wheat bran (choker) had not been abolished yet. He believed there would be an increase of Rs30 and Rs50 per 20 kilogram flour bag if the GST on the bran was not withdrawn and that would subsequently affect the poor consumers.

Naeem Butt said the flour millers were compelled to close down mills due to unwise policies of the government.

He urged Prime Minister Imran Khan and relevant authorities to order withdrawal of 17 per cent GST on wheat bran by keeping in view present ‘price-hike’ in the country.

He said the flour millers were unanimous to register protest against the imposition of GST on wheat bran and decided to shut down mills for next three days.

Naeem Butt said the APFMA general body meeting had been called on July 20 to decide on draw the future course of action.

Police say 12 drug dealers arrested

The capital city police officials on Tuesday said 12 smugglers and dealers of “ice” (methamphetamine) and other drugs have been arrested.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Operations Zahoor Babar Afridi told a press conference that the police on the tip-off from an intelligence agency arrested the international traffickers involved in smuggling of ice, heroin, hashish and other drugs.

“The held dealers and smugglers were involved in trafficking of drugs to

international and local markets. Drugs worth millions of rupees have been recovered from the held smugglers,” the SSP Operations said.

The accused were identified as Habibur Rehman, Mohammad Ali, Ishtiaq Ahmad, Alamzeb Khan, Zahid Iqbal, Nusrat Shah, Rashid Khan, Tahir Khan, Adil Mahmood, Adnan, Musa Khan and Imran.

The official said that police have approached the Anti-Narcotics Force to assess the assets of the arrested smugglers.

“Those in contact with the held smugglers and their businesses partners are also being checked. Cases have been registered against the accused,” the official said.